Visit Spark! Places of Innovation in Equality
Saline River scenic view
When
Jun
17
–
Jul 22, 2023
Days and Times Vary
Cost
Free
Open to the public
Exhibition Hours and Location
- Fridays: 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. CST
- Saturdays: 12:00 – 7:00 p.m. CST
- Sundays: 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. CST
- Ohio River Visitors Center, 101 West Lane Street, Equality, IL
To schedule a tour of the exhibition during regular and off hours, please contact Mark and Nadine York at (618) 499-3801.
About Spark! in Equality
The Spark! exhibition includes the 276 Art Exchange, a not-for-profit venture created through a collaboration with Gallatin County Tourism, the Village of Equality, and local volunteers. The 276 Art Exchange features hand-crafted items, created, or written by 70 artisans in Southern Illinois.
A local companion exhibit detailing the history of salt extraction in Gallatin County will display alongside Spark!. The salt springs of this region have been recognized as a valuable natural resource for hundreds of years and have been used by both the wildlife and the people that have inhabited the area.
Visitors can enjoy the exhibitions, learn about the region, browse the 276 Art Exchange, and stop by the Red Onion for a meal—fried chicken Thursdays.
Planning a visit to the Shawnee National Forest soon? Make the Ohio River Visitors Center a stop on your to do list.
Salt kettle from Great Salt Spring
Local Lecture Series
The Gallatin County Tourism Committee presents its Sunday lecture series about Equality's first instrument of innovation, the Gallatin Salines. Each event in the series focuses on a different aspect of salt production in the region.
“Legends and Lore of the Gallatin Salines & the Crenshaw House”
3:00 p.m. | June 18, 2023
“Archeological Investigations in the Gallatin Salines & the Crenshaw House”
3:00 p.m. | June 25, 2023
“Native Americans and Salt Springs in Gallatin County”
3:00 p.m. | July 9, 2023
“Did Black Lives Matter in Early Illinois? Voices from the Brink of Slavery and Freedom”
3:00 p.m. | July 16, 2023
In The News
Read about Spark! in Equality
These exhibitions and lecture series are hosted by the Gallatin County Tourism Committee. For more information, visit facebook.com/276ArtExchange or call (618) 499-3801.
About Spark! Places of Innovation
Spark! Places of Innovation, part of Illinois Humanities’ Museum on Main Street program, is a Smithsonian traveling exhibition that highlights innovation in rural America from the perspectives of people who have lived it. Their words, images, and experiences, gathered through an ambitious crowdsourcing initiative, are the heartbeat of the exhibition. The communities featured in Spark! – including seven small towns in Illinois – have enhanced their vitality through innovations in fields such as technology, agriculture, economic development, education, and the arts. Explore the diversity, ingenuity, and tenacity of rural Americans in Spark! Places on Innovation.
Spark! will visit seven towns in Illinois from June 17, 2023, to March 29, 2024.
Spark! Places of Innovation is presented in partnership with the Gallatin County Tourism Committee, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, and Illinois Humanities.
Funders
Partners
Gallatin County Tourism Committee
Sponsors
Contact
Suite 650, 125 South Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60603
312.422.5580 312.374.6787
600 Troy Road
N4, Room 207
Edwardsville, IL 62025
618.468.5580
Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly [through the Illinois Arts Council], as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
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Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.
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